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Comments
Does anyone know if the rebuilts actually have a "fix", or is the 2nd gear being replaced and an oil jet kit installed?
If the rebuilts are supposedly as good or better than the original, shouldn't Honda extend the warranty another 3 yrs. and 36K. Of course, if they generously extended it to 100K, that would be even better.
The trick is not to get sour on a car because you had a problem. Once you get sour, nothing will satisfy you or rejuvenate your positive outlook, so you have a mind game to work on as well as a transmission.
Reject the concept of "lemon". It is a made-up term with little scientific basis and holding onto that idea only makes things worse IMO.
The reconned transmission is, in fact, much more likely to work out than not. The odds are way in your favor, so that's the best way to look at it.
My opinion is that most serious mechanical defects show themselves quickly. If a complex unit is truly defective, it isn't going to last very long. So worrying about the next 100K miles seems, to me, sort of pointless. I'd worry more about the next 100 miles.
Never gonna buy a piece of JUNK Honda again, that's for sure!!!
Post #685 above, what caused the transmissions to fail? All 2nd gear failures? Maybe he knows (from his Honda service records) what caused this failure and is willing to share it with us.
I wonder in his case if it is left over metal parts from the cooling line/transmission cooler that work loose over time and get into the transmission causing these problems. Even when you flush out the cooler lines you can't be sure if something is still stuck in there.
Reguardless, Honda should give this van a special warranty for all of the trouble this person has gone through. 90k miles of driving with your fingers crossed isn't my idea of fun to drive.
If I remember right rental car reimbursement is only offered to those who buy the extended warranty (to 00k). Not included in the 3/36 warranty. isellhondas would know for sure.
Yes, I believe that some vehicle are just lemons but the vast majority will have NO problems.
I'm still waiting to hear what the warranty will be. When I do, I'll post.
Steve, Host
"Anecdotal" is NOT a put-down. All it means is that the "evidence" has not been subjected to scientific or statistical analysis.
On another note: Has anyone had problems w/rear vent windows rattling when open. If so, can it be corrected? I also have one vent that makes a noise (again, not all the time). Service dept. said they tried to lub, but it did nothing. I know the '01's had problems w/noisy vent motors because I had had both of mine replaced.
Thanks
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
The information I got from my local Honda mechanic is that the weight I'm pulling doesn't require a tranny cooler.
Is there anything in writting where they draw the line at towing without the cooler?
FYI; a tranny cooler cost around $600 by my estimate.
New stuff like the new Toyota and the new Nissan had about half the cost to add the tow package and I was told it was because they did not require a tranny cooler - only hitch and wiring was why price was $500 to $600 rather than $1200 for Honda.
Also, is this a safety problem.
How would I contact Honda Corporate?
I give you my condolances that they will not give you a loaner.
I would also point out how WORTHLESS an extended care warranty is while a car is covered under the existing warranty. I would ask for your money back and put some of it towards a rental.
I've heard some mention a refurbished tranny is better than an original - huh?! Well from what I read here, it seems many of the refurbished trannies are often sent back, which would indicate that the bandaid that is being applied shows there are problems beyond the just a few parts that are being replaced.
I have spent hours and hours reading through the posts in this Transmission Section and seem to remember that I saw somewhere that several of you were able to get American Honda to pay part of this transmission cost even if you were past the 100,000 mile mark. Can anyone help me find those posts, or if you were one of those people, will you post again to tell me what you did to convince American Honda to pick up part of this cost?
I am absolutely LIVID. I sold a Dodge Grand Caravan and bought this Honda precisely because I was supposed to have a reliable vehicle. I could have spent almost $9000 less for a Chrysler Town & Country, but bought the Ody because I did not want to have major mechanical problems. In all my years of vehicle ownership, I have never, ever had to have a transmission replaced ... and the idea that this has happened in a Honda vehicle is just unbelievable to me. I also think that since Honda knew they put bad transmissions into these vehicles (and mine is one that is covered by the extended warranty), that they should not have put a limit on how long they would cover the transmission!
Thanks in advance for prompt responses. My van is sitting at Honda Service right now and I need to figure out what to do before I call American Honda!
Susan
;-)
how long is a tranny supposed to last anyways?
I am in shock that I need a new transmission. The van has not hesitated or sputtered or skipped at all. The only symptoms were the check engine light and then the intermittent TCS light ... I am absolutely livid that I am expected to pay $5000 for a new transmission on a Honda vehicle.
Honda has based their reputation on reliable, "go forever vehicles" ... well, not exactly! My Dodge Caravan went longer than this ... in fact both of them went longer than this!
Still hoping for a SERIOUS response from anyone who got American Honda to cover at least partial costs for a new transmission when past the 100,000 mile deadline.
Thanks in advance and sorry that my sense of humor is inactive right now.
My van is sitting at the Honda dealership right now and they are waiting for instructions from me.
Thanks in advance.
Susan Melvin
scmelvin@msn.com
Good luck!
Steve, Host
I am very pleased to say that American Honda 1-800-999-1009 was extremely polite, pleasant and seemingly concerned about my problem. I spoke with Ted. He said I would receive a call from a Regional Case Manager within 24-48 hours, but because my van was in the shop and I was having to use a borrowed vehicle, he walked my request over to the Case Management department. The one thing I did have to do was state clearly what I expected Honda to do for me ... and that was to actually say "I expect American Honda to replace this transmission at their cost". Apparently these calls are recorded for their records.
Within 1 hour I had a call from Ron, Regional Case Manager and he immediately told me that American Honda was prepared to replace the part at their cost if I would pay the labor, not to exceed $500.00. He told me I could accept the offer immediately or call him back. I chose to call him back so I could look once more at the posts on this site and also I wanted to call my mechanic to be sure this was a good deal (it sounded like it was). This offer seemed to be in line with what others on this site have received, but because of the problems others have had with their "new" transmissions, I did ask Ron what type of warranty I would have with the new transmission and he stated I would have 3 years, 36,000 miles.
I think this sounds pretty good, although I would think even more of Honda if they stood by these vehicles for the life of the car. That is what their reputation is based on, after all ... buy a Honda, keep it forever.
My part has been ordered and my van is supposed to be ready in a few days. Then I will start watching for that check engine light to come on again .... hope not!
This is a great site, and thanks, Steve, for the advice on how to do a more efficient search.
Susan Melvin
The ody is a heavy vehicle, especially when loaded up. If you drive at high speeds when loaded up, and never change the fluid/filter, don't stop before shifting from reverse to drive, the tranny might not go 150K without wearing out.
The Ody seems to have a flaw that Chrysler had: they used a car based platform/engine/tranny and basically "supersized" it, and the trannys were probably a little undersized to handle the stress.
Also, it isn't that uncommon for reman units to have some issues, but if they do, they usually fail quickly.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
I think you should throw a couple of pizzas in with the $500 labor charge!
Steve, Host
And, to set the record straight, my Odyssey has been maintained to the letter from the very beginning. Oil changed each and every 3,000 miles, all maintenance done per the owners' manual; all warranty items serviced immediately (although I somehow never got the information about the transmission); I certainly do not throw it into reverse before stopping; I do not haul anything with it or over load it ... I use my F-350 Dually for that stuff! Cosmetically, it is washed and vacuumed every week (very particular husband when it comes to cars) ... so in no way do I feel responsible for the transmission wearing out.
I stand by my earlier statement ... I expect Honda to make a better vehicle. This is what they have based their reputation on ... that we can figure on keeping their vehicles forever.
As a side note, the last payment on the car loan will be debited from my account tomorrow. It's almost as if the van knew exactly when to decide to fall apart. And, the $500 I will be charged for the labor on the new transmission ... that is because I just found out that I was going to receive a $500 bonus. So much for using that $500 for something fun...
Susan Melvin
Car is a very complicate machine. It contains thousands of components to work in synch and any weak part could cause problem. Honda admit their design flaw by recall and extend warranty and follow it better than the US rivals. Some said they change oil every 3000 miles and wash every week. But the maintainence is one factor and there are more factors and should include driving habit and living environment. People live in hilly or high mountain, and metro with short trip and heavy traffic have more labor on the power tran than other area. Some like to drive fast and brake hard, so it will prone having problem with easy on and stop in theory.
I am the one mention I prefer to have a tested rebuilt one than a untested new one. The key is the rebuilt one should have new critical components. We are talking about parts and design issue, not manufacturing problem. People has mind set that new one is better than rebuilt one. If that is the case, there shouldn't be any faulty one since they all start with new. So the problem start with a new one. If Honda can find problem in faulty tranny, they will make sure they found the root cause and fix it before place it into replacement pool. One more trip back, they have to pay the replacement. Delaer is not part of Honda manufacturer. Any warrenty service and recall, cost Honda to pay the dealer service dept to fix and replace.
A more valid comparision is current value. How much is the Ody worth now vs. the GC that started out 3-5K cheaper.
Hondas reputation (really built on fairly simple cars like Civics and older Accords) is somewhat of a double edged sword. If a Caravan or Windstar eats a tranny at 110K, people almost feel like they were lucky to have one make it that far. With Honda, people get irate that they had to do a repair before 200K.
I am still likely to buy an "05 before year end (supply/demand willing), and certainly hope whatever upgrades they have made to the tranny truly fix the problem. If not, hopefully the issues arise early enough to get the extended warranty.
Maybe thats what Honda should do. Add a kia-like 10/100 powertrain warranty specificially for the tranny.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Sounds like Kia quality at full MSRP. No offense to the owners of KIA's. I don't think that 100K miles for a car today is all that much. Better build quality should result in a longer life for the vehicles.
People need to abandon Honda for a while until they get this transmission problem solved.
I expect more if I have to pay full/over MSRP!
You say you were LIVID because your transmission needed to be replaced at 109,000 miles.
At what mileage would you have not been livid and simply accepted the failure as bad luck or normal wear and tear? 150,000 miles? 250,000 miles?
I ask this because 109,000 miles is a LOT of driving! Do you expect a car maker to warranty a tansmission for as long as you own the car?
It wasn't THAT many years ago when people would have been tickled to get over 100K without a major component failing.
I am glad to hear that I work for a company that was willing to go WAY beyond the warranty period to satisfy a customer and I'm glad you had a happy ending to your story!
It does not cost Honda 5-6K for the replacement transmission. That is what they would charge you is you were paying to have this work done. Dealers parts are always marked up over 100% of what they pay for them. What is the real cost to Honda for this replacement?
Susan said she paid 9K more for this Honda over a GC. Now she has paid 9.5K more then the GC, I can see why she is LIVID, it's her money!